Principal Ecologist /Associate Director - Ecology Peterborough

Jacobs; Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

24 days holiday

Enhanced pension

Health coverage

Employee networks

Family planning support

Parental leave

Life assurance

Income protection

Wellbeing hub

CPD opportunities

Community engagement

Job summary

Jacobs in Peterborough seeks a Principal Ecologist or Associate Director to lead the ecology team, shaping UK-wide projects across water, transport and energy infrastructure. You’ll guide strategy, mentor staff and deliver high-impact ecological solutions.

Hybrid working in a global firm, with opportunities to influence major bids and client relationships while advancing biodiversity and regulatory outcomes.

Qualifications

• Strong background in terrestrial ecology with significant industry experience.
• Chartered status (or on track to achieve it).
• Proven experience leading ecological input on large-scale projects.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to influence wider business decisions.
• Experience in line management, mentoring and team development.
• A proactive, hands-on approach with strong self-awareness.
• Ability to adapt across diverse and complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Help steer the strategic direction for the Peterborough ecology team and contribute to UK-wide leadership.
• Act as the go-to expert, providing high-quality advice to clients, stakeholders and regulators.
• Build strong relationships through extensive client and stakeholder engagement.
• Lead and inspire colleagues through empathetic, high-impact leadership and mentoring.
• Apply your technical expertise across EIA, Habitat Regulations Assessment and Biodiversity Net Gain.
• Design and oversee ecological monitoring and survey programmes.
• Collaborate across disciplines to deliver integrated, innovative solutions.
• Play a central role in identifying, bidding and winning new work.
• Promote the ecology team’s capability across the wider business and externally.
• Oversee resource planning for the Peterborough ecology teams to ensure workloads are balanced and projects are properly supported.
• This is your opportunity to shape not just projects, but people, performance and the future direction of the team.

Skills

Leadership

Terrestrial ecology

Chartered status

Ecology project leadership

Strategic thinking

People management

Mentoring

Hands-on

Adaptability

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission‑critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting‑edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

This is your chance to lead from the front and shape the future of ecology in one of the UK’s most dynamic regions.

In Peterborough, you’ll play a key role within the office’s leadership team – providing direction, and helping guide how major programmes are delivered across the UK.

You’ll take help support the development of a high-performing team, while influencing decisions on nationally significant energy and water infrastructure, major highway and rail schemes. Your expertise will directly influence decisions that impact communities, environments and sustainability outcomes for decades to come

This isn’t just leadership - this is visible, meaningful impact at scale.

What’s In It For Me

You’ll take help support the development of a high-performing team, while influencing decisions on nationally significant energy and water infrastructure, major highway and rail schemes. Your expertise will directly influence decisions that impact communities, environments and sustainability outcomes for decades to come.

This is more than a step up - it’s a career-defining leadership role.

• Build your legacy – lead, grow and shape a team in your own vision
• Influence major projects – work with clients like Anglian Water, Environment Agency, National Grid & National Highways

Win and shape future work – play a key role in bidding, strategy and growth

Be recognised as a leader – represent Jacobs through client engagement, industry presence and thought leadership

You’ll be trusted to lead, supported to grow, and empowered to make a genuine difference.

We Offer

• Competitive salary We offer compensation that reflects your skills and experience
• 24 days holiday + option to buy a further 10 days
• Robust Pension Contributions We offer enhanced pension contributions up to 10% to secure your future
• Comprehensive Health Coverage Single medical cover and Digital GP service, with options to add your partner and family
• Employee Networks We have a commitment to hiring a diverse workforce and supporting colleagues of different backgrounds
• Family Planning Support Access to fertility healthcare and family planning services
• Enhanced Parental Leave Enjoy enhanced parental leave pay and free membership to employee assistance and parental programs
• Life assurance at 4x your salary
• Income Protection Financial security in case of long-term illness or injury
• Wellbeing Hub Free access to wellbeing apps like Calm and Daily Burn
• Professional Development We cover professional membership fees and provide continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities
• Community Engagement Participate in charity matched‑funding, paid volunteering time, and charitable donations

We’re looking for a Principal Ecologist or Associate Director to help lead our Peterborough ecology team - a pivotal role within our UK ecology business.

You’ll combine strategic leadership, technical excellence and people development, working across an exciting portfolio of projects spanning water, transport and energy infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Help steer the strategic direction for the Peterborough ecology team and contribute to UK-wide leadership
• Act as the go‑to expert, providing high-quality advice to clients, stakeholders and regulators
• Build strong relationships through extensive client and stakeholder engagement
• Lead and inspire colleagues through empathetic, high‑impact leadership and mentoring
• Apply your technical expertise across EIA, Habitat Regulations Assessment and Biodiversity Net Gain
• Design and oversee ecological monitoring and survey programmes
• Collaborate across disciplines to deliver integrated, innovative solutions
• Play a central role in identifying, bidding and winning new work
• Promote the ecology team’s capability across the wider business and externally
• Oversee resource planning for the Peterborough ecology teams to ensure workloads are balanced and projects are properly supported
• This is your opportunity to shape not just projects, but people, performance and the future direction of the team.

Here’s what you’ll need

• You’re a confident, forward-thinking leader ready to take the next step.
• A strong background in terrestrial ecology with significant industry experience
• Chartered status (or on track to achieve it)
• Proven experience leading ecological input on large‑scale projects
• A strategic mindset with the ability to influence wider business decisions
• Experience in line management, mentoring and team development
• A proactive, hands‑on approach with strong self‑awareness
• The ability to adapt across diverse and complex projects

We’d love to see experience in

• Innovative scoping of ecological inputs
• Protected species licensing and Biodiversity Net Gain
• Project consenting and construction environments
• Stakeholder and regulator engagement
• Planning inquiries and examinations

But most importantly, you’ll bring the ability to think differently, challenge the norm and continually improve how we deliver for our clients.

But beyond experience, what really matters is your ability to think differently, challenge the status quo, and spot opportunities to improve how we deliver for our clients.

Why Join Now?

Because this is more than a leadership role - it’s your chance to define the future of ecology within a global organisation while working on projects that shape the world around us.

If you’re ready to lead, influence and grow at scale, we’d love to hear from you.

Jacobs offers hybrid working and a standard 40‑hour working week

Good luck with your application

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well‑being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging. Find out more about our Jacobs Employee Networks here.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https//www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.